All Things Must Pass
by SnowCalico
Summary: A short story exploring the possibility that Stan and Wendy don't stay together forever. Not your typical silly South Park fic, and a real 360 degree turn from how I usually write them. Don't hurt me Matt and Trey!


All Things Must Pass  
  
"She doesn't know what she's missin'. "   
  
The thought came to Stan everyday... at least once an hour. She'd be sorry. She'd be sorry she ever left.  
  
Yet it'd been a month already and even he was starting to have doubts. But no.. it couldn't be. They were meant for each other, weren't they?  
  
The halls of South Park High School seemed colder ever since she'd gone. Ever since that rainy night she'd slammed the screen door at Stan's house and drove away in her beat up Volkswagen Rabbit.   
Fuck he missed the loud annoying sound of that car. So hard to believe. He missed so many stupid things. Like the way her voice never went off-key when she was singing along to the radio. Always perfect.  
  
"Stan.. helloooo?" the agitated voice of Kyle brought him back to reality "Are you thinking about Wendy again?"  
  
Stan was silent, he just looked at his shoes. Of course he was, what kind of stupid question was that?  
  
"Dude, accept it. It wasn't meant to be."  
  
Stan's voice became filled with anger "It's only been a month... she could come back."  
  
Kyle sighed, he was so used to this. "Stan.. have you SEEN how she hangs off Harry's shoulder?"  
  
Again there was no reply from Stan, just silence. Sure he'd seen it, but it was better to pretend he hadn't.  
  
"Come on, we're going to have fun tonight. Cartman got a ton of spray paint and Kenny managed to swipe a couple of cases of beer off his dad!" Kyle exclaimed.  
  
"How is that different from any other Friday?" Stan's voice was laced with depression "It's not like Kenny's dad keeps the stuff locked away or anything."  
  
"God Stan, you're no fun anymore. Are you going to let one girl ruin your whole existence?" Kyle growled  
  
"She was what made life worth living." Stan quietly said  
  
"Fuck you! When you pull your sorry ass out of the land of self-pity, I'll be waiting." Kyle yelled before storming out.  
  
Stan knew Kyle had every right to be mad at him. He was a real drag to be around these days. All that he could think about was her. He wondered so many things. Did she introduce him to her parents? Had she taken him to all their special places? Had they... no he couldn't even think of that. Wendy was a wild girl, but she was steadfast on the subject of sex. Not until after marriage. But.. what if this guy meant so much to her she broke that promise? No... it was too depressing to think about.  
  
Then he heard a pair of footsteps coming down the hall. When he looked up dread filled every part of him. Them... oh god why? Why did they have to walk down this hallway at the exact time he was here? Too late to duck into a classroom, eyes had already met. Oh please don't stop. Don't humiliate me further.  
  
"Hey Stan!"  
  
She has some gall to say that. As if we'd just been 'pals' all our lives and never shared kisses under the cover of moonlight.  
  
"Stan?"  
  
"Oh.. erm.. hello Wendy."  
  
"How are you? How is your family? Did Shelley have her baby yet?"  
  
"I'm.. I'm fine. They're fine. Yes, she had a son."  
  
"Wendy honey." Harry butts in "We have to get going."  
  
"Right.. bye Stan!"  
  
There she goes, walking out of my life once more.  
-------------  
  
It took Stan a good while to make it to the tree. In the years since they stopped using the tree (once they'd grown to heavy for its branches) many weeds had made their homes in the only path to the place. Was it so long ago? How many sunsets did we watch from those branches?  
  
Stan felt the tears gathering in his eyes. It wasn't long before shiny wet trails made their way down his cheeks. It wasn't fucking fair. Why did all the memories have to be so perfect? What was the use of spending all that time together only to end up apart? He felt an anger grow somewhere deep within. Cussing as loudly as he could he kicked the tree. Apparently the old tree was stronger than he'd expected and he ended up falling backwards into a thorn bush. However the pain inside far outweighed the pain outside, and he didn't get up. He just lay there, bleeding slightly from the thorns on his skin, crying as if he were 8 years old again.   
  
"Stan?"  
  
The voice sent cold chills down his spine. It couldn't be.   
  
"Stan.. you're bleeding!"  
  
Now she came into view. Glorious as she ever was, long raven-black hair whipping in the wind and understanding eyes looking down upon him. She helped him up, but he couldn't look her in the eye. They weren't his eyes to admire anymore. Never would be again.  
  
"Stan.. why did you come here? Why are you crying?" her voice is soft, just as soft as he recalled it had been before.  
  
Still he couldn't answer. The answer, the truth, was too pathetic.   
  
"Shit.. this tree is still standing?" she changed the subject, looking up at the tired tree and running a hand down it's trunk "It was ancient when we discovered it."  
  
Stan looked at her in utter disbelief. How could she do it? How could she pretend nothing had ever happened?  
  
Her eyes turned to him and she laughed "We sure had some good times didn't we Stan?"  
  
"FUCK YOU!" he burst out finally, tears once more gushing from his eyes "You have some nerve to act like... like everything is okay!"  
  
"But everything is okay." Wendy remarked in a hushed tone   
  
"No it's not! You don't love me anymore.. it can never be okay again."  
  
"Stan, do you remember that summer we wanted to be lifeguards at the local pool?"  
  
"Well yeah... we took that stupid training course for 3 weeks... then they shut the pool down for being contaminated....it sucked. All our training was for nothing! We wasted so much time!"  
  
"Yes, but remember the summer after when we went to the beach? You saved that kid's life."   
  
"... with the techniques I learned in that damn training course." Stan's eyes lit up with a bit of understanding.  
  
"Sometimes Stan.. we need what we learn in a failed experience to help us when we finally have a successful experience." Wendy said "It's not wasted time if it helps you in the future."  
  
"How could losing the love of my life help me out later?"  
  
"I know it's hard to believe Stan, but someday you'll find somebody else. You'll be crazier about her.. even crazier than you were about me."  
  
"Never."  
  
"Then.. you'll have our experiences together to look back on as reference. What worked and what didn't. A chance to not make the same mistakes twice."  
  
"I appreicate your kind words Wendy, but..."  
  
Wendy neared Stan and she took his hand in hers "Nobody can change the past Stan. Nobody can take away good memories. They're always there. No matter who I end up with.. I wouldn't take back those days spent with you for anything."  
  
Wendy gave Stan a soft kiss on the cheek, then left him to look at the sun as it set over the Rocky Mountains.  
  
  



End file.
